Documents of Vatican II


 

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DOCUMENTS OF THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL

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Course Description

What did Vatican II really teach? “The Documents of the Second Vatican Council” (ST 111) explores this question through a series of readings and discussions focusing on the sixteen documents officially produced by the council. Students will explore the vision of Catholic faith presented by the council from theological, pastoral, moral, and spiritual perspectives. The context of the council will also be treated, along with the visions articulated by Blessed Pope John XXIII, who called the council, and Pope Paul VI, who presided over it and promulgated its documents. In addition to mining the treasures of the Second Vatican Council, this course stresses the council's fundamental continuity with the previous Tradition of Catholic theology.

Required Texts

The sixteen documents of the Second Vatican Council are available online at the Vatican's web site. These are the central texts for the course. Other readings required or recommended are linked on the course calendar or available as text files on Blackboard.

COURSE CALENDAR†

  

Week

Due Date

Topic

Readings

0

2/16

Orientation

  • Syllabus

1

2/23

Introduction and Revelation

  1. John XXIII’s opening address to the Second Vatican Council (11 October 1962)

  2.  Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum

2

3/2

The Church

  • Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen gentium (21 November 1964)

3

3/9

The Bishop

  • Vatican II, Decree Concerning the Pastoral Office of Bishop in the Church Christus Dominus (28 October 1965)

4

3/16

Religious

  •  Vatican II, Decree on the Adaptation and Perfection of Religious Life Perfectae caritatis (28 October 1965)

5

3/23

Lay Faithful

6

3/30

Christian Education

7

4/6

The Modern World

  •  Vatican II, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes (7 December 1965)

8

4/13

Non-Christian Religions

  1.  Vatican II,  Declaration on The Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions Nostra aetate (28 October 1965)

  2. Vatican II, Declaration on Religious Freedom Dignitatis humanae (7 December 1965)

9

4/20

Mission

  • Vatican II, Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church Ad gentes (7 December 1965)

10

4/27

Liturgy

 

  

 

† The Professor reserves the right to make substitutions, deletions, or additions to the schedule of readings.

 

 

 

 

in te domine speravi non confundar in aeternum

© 2009 Daniel G. Van Slyke